1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to energy centers and, more particularly, to energy centers which are mountable in or to furniture assemblies, work surfaces and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Efficient organization of devices requiring electrical power within an office, commercial, industrial or residential environment has been a historical problem. Such devices include lamps, typewriters and the like. More recently, this problem has been exacerbated by the proliferation of additional devices for communications, such as complex telephone stations, computers, video displays and the like. The primary problems associated with the efficient organization and use of such devices relate to the abundance of wiring arrays and the positioning of the energy-requiring devices within the environment, particularly in office environments.
Historically, telephone terminals and electrical receptacles have long been used for providing convenient, floor-level interconnection nodes for connecting telephones, computers and other electrical devices to the communications and electrical networks. In modern times, these types of communication lines, in particular, have proliferated. Many commercial and industrial, and some residential, environments now have a variety of communication networks. Many of the networks are internal and many are connected to external networks, such as telephone lines. These networks now include dedicated communication lines, video communications, computer networks, and fiber optics communications lines for various types of information.
A long-standing problem has been the efficient interconnection of these communications networks with the end use devices, such as telephones and computers. This is especially difficult in an office environment where it is desirable to eliminate tangled wiring arrays for both aesthetic and safety reasons. Currently, many offices have numerous wires running from each desk to wall-mounted data terminals for telephone, computer and other information and communication networks.
The problem of tangled wires in the office environment is even more pronounced when electrical wiring is added to the tangle of communications wires. In addition, it is well known that wiring costs can be relatively high if a sufficient number of terminals and receptacles are not utilized and properly positioned. However, the cost of the materials also rapidly increases as the number of receptacles is increased. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, the conventional design of terminals within wall or floor services, which are often a substantial distance from devices such as those employed on work surfaces (computer terminals, etc.), can cause relatively unsightly and sometimes dangerous wiring arrays, in addition to resultant entanglements of cords connected to these devices.
The problems of convenience, efficiency and aesthetics have been somewhat addressed in the electrical power arts. Several devices have been produced to bring the electrical terminals closer to the users in an aesthetically pleasing, efficient and convenient manner. The electrical arts tend to be ahead of the communication arts in this respect. In fact, the electrical arts have progressed to a point where electrical receptacles may be mounted on a work surface in a retractable manner, so that power cords may easily be connected to the electrical receptacles above the work surface, but both the cords and the receptacles may be retracted below the work surface while maintaining power to the user devices.
A One relatively substantial advance in the art relating to the mounting of electrical receptacles in a retractable manner in work surfaces and the like, is shown in the commonly owned U.S. Patent to Byrne 4,747,788 issued May 31, 1988. In the Byrne patent, a retractable power center includes a retainer housing formed in the work surface, with a clamping arrangement to secure the housing to the work surface. A lower extrusion is connected to a lower portion of the housing, and a manually movable power carriage mounts receptacles. In response to manual application of upward forces on the power carriage, the carriage may be raised upward into an extended, open position. Small bosses extending from the sides of the carriage, resting on the top portion of the housing, support the carriage in the extended, open position. In the open position, the user can energize desired electrical devices from the receptacles, and then lower the carriage into a releasably secured, retractable position.
The Byrne ""788 patent represents a substantial advance with respect to retractable power centers mounted on work surfaces and the like. In addition to the Byrne ""788 patent, another relatively substantial advance in the art is disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. Patent to Byrne 5,351,173 issued Sep. 27, 1994. In the Byrne ""173 patent, a retractable communications terminal center includes voice/data terminals adapted to be mounted in a work surface. The communications terminal center includes a lighting arrangement for providing illumination in the vicinity of the energy center. A pivot arrangement is coupled to the lighting configuration and to the energy center power carriage so as to provide a positional adjustment of the lighting arrangement relative to the carriage.
In addition to retractable energy center configurations, it is believed that stationary configurations which are extremely accessible to electrical and communications devices on the work surface are also of primary importance. With respect to prior art energy centers, one disadvantage relates to the concept that such energy centers are not necessarily adjustable as to their particular position on or around a work surface. That is, for example, it may be preferable to have an energy center located adjacent an edge or vertical side surface of a work surface. For example, the Byrne ""173 patent discloses the concept of employing an energy center which is adapted to mount to a vertical side surface of a work surface. This type of application can be utilized when it is not desirable to provide slots or other type of apertures within a work surface for purposes of mounting an energy center and extending power cords through the slots. However, it has heretofore been unknown to employ energy centers which can be interchangeable between stationary support housings adapted to be mounted over slots in a work surface, and support configurations which are adapted to mount to vertical side surfaces or edges of horizontally disposed work surfaces and the like.
An energy center in accordance with the invention overcomes these and other limitations by providing an energy center upper housing means for housing electrical and/or voice/data receptacles and communications terminals. Energy is supplied to the receptacles and terminals through power cords extending downwardly from the upper housing. The upper housing is adapted to be utilized with a first base support adapted to be mounted over a slot on a planar portion of a work surface. The upper housing is also adapted to be mounted interchangeably to a base support which is further adapted to be mounted to an edge of a planar work surface or a vertical side surface.